Ecotourism

Located in the tropical rainforest of the Cusco and Madre de Dios regions, Manu National Park is Peru’s greatest national treasure due to the number of species it harbors and the diversity of ecosystems it encompasses.

Established in 1973 over an area of 1,532,806 hectares, it was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1987. It comprises the entire Manu River basin as well as an extraordinary altitudinal gradient, ranging from 4,300 meters above sea level in the Andean highlands to 200 meters in the Amazonian floodplain.

Located in the Ancash region, Huascarán National Park lies within the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain range in the world. It was created in 1975 over an area of 340,000 hectares and was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1985. The park protects one of the most astonishing high-mountain ecosystems in the world, featuring 663 glaciers, 269 lakes, and 41 rivers, as well as dozens of mountains, 26 of which exceed 6,000 meters in altitude.

The park is home to an immense variety of plant and animal wildlife, including around 800 plant species and several dozen types of animals.

Additionally, the park contains 33 pre-Incan archaeological sites, such as Wilcahuain, and hosts dozens of Quechua-speaking farming communities that still practice traditional livestock and agricultural techniques.

Several ethnic groups, including the Arahuaca, Huachipaire, Machiguenga, Piro, Yora, and Yaminagua, as well as others who have yet to make contact with the modern world, also inhabit the area.

The Tambopata National Reserve (TNR) is part of a 3.7-million-acre conservation area in southeastern Peruvian Amazonia, created in 1990 through collaboration between the national government, local communities, and international conservation organizations. This reserve protects the full watershed divides of the Távara and Candamo rivers, as well as most of the Tambopata River basin.

The reserve’s establishment and design follow a philosophy of sustainable development and forest resource conservation.

The TNR safeguards habitats that range from the Andean highlands, near the river sources, to some of the last remaining intact rainforests, and down to the lowland Amazonian jungle. More than 1,300 bird species (including 32 species of parrots, representing 10% of the world’s total), 200 mammal species, 900 frog species, 1,200 butterfly species, and 10,000 species of tall plants are protected within this reserve. The world’s largest known clay lick, where hundreds of parrots and macaws from up to 15 species gather daily to ingest detoxifying clay, is also found within the reserve, less than 500 meters from the TRC.

Adjacent to the reserve’s northwestern corner is the Ese’eja Native Community, which adds its 10,000 hectares of communally owned and managed rainforest to the protected area.

The park serves as the natural habitat for more than 20,000 vascular plant species, 1,200 butterfly species, 1,000 bird species, 200 mammal species, and an unknown number of reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

Spanning 2,080,000 hectares, Pacaya-Samiria is the crown jewel of Peru’s northern Amazonian natural reserves and the largest in the country. Established in 1982, it was created to conserve the region’s rich wildlife, including an extensive variety of fish species, which serve as the primary protein source for local populations.

This protected area contains 85 lakes that are home to 250 fish species, as well as pink and gray freshwater dolphins. Within the reserve’s jungle and flooded forests, 132 mammal species (13 of which are primates), 449 bird species, and 150 reptile and amphibian species have been documented. Pacaya-Samiria encompasses three distinct ecosystems and the largest variety of flora in Peru, including 22 species of orchids.

Initially set aside in 1940, it became a National Reserve in 1972. Numerous ranger stations were established to enforce conservation laws and monitor wildlife. The reserve’s goals include promoting research and wildlife protection, supporting local populations through socioeconomic initiatives, managing sustainable resource use, and fostering ecotourism.

Nature conservation plays a key role in achieving these objectives. One of its most successful programs is the protection of taricaya and charapa turtle eggs, aimed at conserving these endangered species. To date, 450,000 turtles have been released.

Tourism plays a crucial role by generating funds through entrance fees, which help sustain conservation programs and raise awareness about the importance of protecting wildlife and plant life within the reserve.

Established in 1975 over 335,000 hectares, Paracas is the only natural area that protects the Peruvian portion of the cold Humboldt Current.

Located in the coastal desert zone, this unique ecosystem boasts some of the world’s richest marine environments, a condition made possible by the high concentration of plankton that provides vital food for countless fish species.

Paracas is home to guano-producing birds and vast seal colonies. It serves as a migration stopover for ten bird species and is a final refuge for many endangered and endemic species, including the marine otter, the Humboldt penguin, and the Chilean flamingo.

Paracas was once home to many pre-Columbian civilizations that left behind an incredible legacy of spectacular textiles and ceramics.

Since 1978, this reserve has helped conserve the region’s wildlife and scenic beauty while promoting the sustainable use of its resources. The Titicaca Reserve, covering 36,180 hectares, extends almost entirely over the world’s highest navigable lake. The reserve is divided into two separate sectors. The first, around and including Puno Bay, aims to protect the reed beds of totora, which provide sustenance for the Uros-Chulluni communities. The second, in the Huancané area, preserves the lesser-visited reed fields.

More than 60 bird species, including the endemic Titicaca grebe, have been identified in the lake’s surroundings. Other species include 14 harmless fish varieties, 18 native fish species, and 18 amphibian species, including the Titicaca giant frog and a unique aquatic frog species.